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編按：本會出版《佛祖道影》內註明上人講於1984年1月18日，但據當時在場之陳果傑居士之筆記，上人是講於1月17日，故以後者為準。
以下由當時中國大陸來訪的智參居士講解，本刊參照陳果傑居士筆記中上人的補充資料，彙合整理而成。智參居士為當年上人在廣東省南華寺時之同參，文革時被迫還俗。上人邀他到美國萬佛城訪問，並在金山寺講解佛祖道影時，邀他講解此文，但上人所寫的「或說偈曰」部份的註解，仍為上人所講。
智參居士:
剛才聽了師父對我的介紹(錄音帶、筆記皆缺)，我出了一身的冷汗，實際上師父是以權巧方便的方法，給我一種鼓勵性的鞭策，因為他知道我受不了棒喝。在我自己內心裏，我是非常地慚愧，好多年來自己可以說是墮落了罷！不過從內心來講，我對佛法還是不敢有所遺忘，但是從行動上來講是退墮了。所以現在到這裏來向師父學習，向各位法師學習，向各位信男信女，各大善知識學習。
今天，師父命我來跟各位談談這位三十七世雲巖曇晟禪師。若干年來，我已經遺忘得很多了，我也就說不出個道理來了。所以我跟各位一方面結個法緣，第二方面，也是跟師父學習。
師建昌王氏子。生有肉袒袈裟。幼出家石門。首謁百丈。二十年因緣不契。往見藥山。一日侍立次。山問，「百丈說甚麼法？」師曰，「丈有時道三句外省去，六句內會取。」山曰，「三干里外且喜沒交涉。」又問，「更說甚麼法？」師曰，「有時上堂眾集定，以杖趁散，復召眾；眾回首，丈曰，「是甚麼？」山曰，「何不早恁麼道？今日因子得見海兄。」師於言下頓省，便禮拜。後開堂雲巖，唐武宗會昌元年辛酉示寂，荼毘舍利千餘，諡無住大師，淨勝之畣。
註解:
這是第37世雲巖曇晟禪師。雲巖是地名，表示他住在雲巖這個地方，後人尊敬他，只稱地名，而不稱他的法號，所以叫雲巖。雲巖是哪一位呢？就是曇晟禪師。禪師，各位大概都非常清楚，就是根據釋迦牟尼佛在靈山會上拈花示眾，「吾有涅槃妙心，正法眼藏，實相無相，教外別傳」；離開文字；不立文字，這是禪宗。禪師，就是以參禪而得道，而成祖師，而來度人，宏法利生，就稱為禪師。
這個「師」字，在中國佛教裏，也有很多種類，有法師，有律師，有禪師；這個禪，指的是如來禪，是釋迦牟尼佛在靈山會上拈花示眾，是不立文字，教外別傳，而得道的，就稱為禪師。
在中國，達摩初祖從印度到中國來傳法，達摩祖師是西天--印度--的二十八祖，到中國之後，傳的就是禪宗，他就是中國禪宗的初祖。初祖下面就是神光，一直傳到六祖，這個就是繼續六祖大師衣缽之後的，中國第三十七世雲巖曇晟禪師。今天簡略談談他開法的情況。
「師建昌王氏子」：師，就是指的雲巖曇晟禪師。他是哪裏人呢？有些什麼事跡呢？下面就談了。
他是建昌王氏子，建昌是地名，在浙江，就是中國現在23個行政區的浙江；省建昌縣；俗家姓王，曇晟禪師父親姓王。「生有肉袒袈裟」：他出生下來就有異象；這些大德祖師都有異象，不是
一般人。肉袒，就是光著身子；袈裟，身上就有搭著袈裟的現象。「幼出家石門」：他從小就跟石門出家；石門也是地名。曇晟禪師的師父也是一位了不得的高僧，所以建稱其名，就稱石門。
「首謁百丈」：他出家受了具是戒以後，到外面去當參學，第一次親近的是百丈禪師。
百丈禪師在中國的江西省，他在中國是很有名，很了不起的一位禪師。中國叢林的建造，他有很大的貢獻。中國有句成語，「馬祖建叢林，百丈立清規。」中國現在很多的寺廟，起早帶晚，
殿堂、庫房等各方面的規矩，都是百丈禪師立下來的。在馬祖立道場之前，中國那時候修道的僧人，沒有集中的地方，到了馬祖建叢林之後，就建成了很大的房屋寺廟
。叢林就是很多高僧大德，大家聚集在一起，如樹木森林一樣。
那麼馬祖建叢林成了以後，大家沒得個規矩，就不能成方圓；你要東，他要西，你念佛，他參禪，甚至於有的佛也不念，禪也不參。怎麼辦呢？百丈禪師憐憫我們後來修道的人，立了叢林裏面許多的規矩。就像我們金山寺，在我們度老和尚(度輪老和尚，即上人)的領導之下，上殿、過堂、參禪、打坐、念佛七、打禪七，這些都是中國從前叢林裏面的規矩。
待續
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Editor's note: According to the book
Lives of the Patriarchs published by DRBA, the Venerable
Master lectured on this Patriarch on January 18, 1984.
However, the notes of Upasika Cecelia Chan, who attended
that lecture, indicate that it was on January 17, which we
consider to be correct.
The following lecture was given by
Upasaka Zhi-can, combined with the Venerable Master's
commentary as recorded in Upasika Cecelia Chan's notes.
Upasaka Zhi-can was a fellow cultivator of the Venerable
Master's at Nan-hua Monastery in Canton Province. He was
forced to return to lay life during the Cultural Revolution.
The Master invited him to come to the United States to visit
the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas. When the Master was
lecturing on the "Lives of the Patriarchs" at Gold Mountain
Monastery, he invited Upasaka Zhi-can to lecture on this
Patriarch. However, the Venerable Master lectured the verse
that he himself wrote.
Upasaka Zhi-can: Just
now while listening to the Venerable Master's explanation
[which is missing both from the tape and notes], I broke out
in a cold sweat. The Master is using an expedient method to
encourage me, because he knows I cannot endure a direct
teaching. I feel very ashamed for I have been very lax over
the years. I have never forgotten the Buddhadharma, but I
have been lax in my conduct. Therefore, I have come to learn
from the Venerable Master, the Dharma Masters, the faithful
laypeople, and all of you good advisors.
Today the Master has asked me to talk
about Dhyana Master Tansheng of Yun-yan, who belongs to the
37th generation. It's been many Years and I have forgotten a
lot, so I can hardly say anything meaningful. On the one
hand I am creating a Dharma affinity with all of you, and on
the other I am learning from the Master.
Text:
The Master was a son of the Wang family in
Jian-chang. He was born with a kashaya sash covering his
flesh. He left the home-life with Shi-men ("Stone Door" at
an early age. He first studied with Bai-zhang, but for
twenty years had no affinities there. He then went to see
Yao-shan. One day, when he was standing in attendance upon
Yao-shan, Yao-shan asked him, "What Dharma did Bai-zhang
speak?" The Master said, "Baizhang sometimes said, 'Aside
from three sentences, you must go and reflect. Within six
sentences, you must seek insight.' Yao-shan said, "Three
thousand li away, you are happy that you don't have to deal
with him," and asked further, "What other Dharma did he
speak?" The Master replied, "Sometimes he would ascend to
his seat and the assembly would be gathered. He would wave
his cane to dismiss them, and then call them back. When the
assembly reconvened, Bai-zhang would ask, 'What's going on?'
Yao-shan said, "Why didn't you tell me this earlier? Today,
because of you, I have seen my brother Hai [Bai-zhang]." The
Master was suddenly awakened by these words, and bowed to
Yao-shan. He later founded a monastery at Yun-yan. He
manifested the stillness in the year xin-you [841 C.E.], the
first year of the Hui-chang reign period of Emperor Wu of
the Tang dynasty. Over a thousand sharira were found after
his cremation. He was given the posthumous title Great
Master Wu-zhu (Free from Dwelling), and his stupa was named
Pure and Supreme.
Commentary:
This is Dhyana Master Tan-sheng of Yun-yan, of the 37th
generation. Yunyan refers to the place where he lived. Out
of respect, people address him by the name of his place of
residence instead of his Dharma title. Who is Yun-yan?
Dhyana Master Tan-sheng. Everyone probably knows what a
Dhyana, or Chan, Master is. The Chan School started when
Shakyamuni Buddha twirled a flower in the Dharma assembly on
Vulture Peak and said, "I have the wondrous mind of Nirvana,
the reality beyond appearance, which is beyond language." A
Chan Master is someone who investigates dhyana and attains
the Way, and then becomes a Patriarch and liberates other
people and teaches the Dharma to benefit all beings.
There are many types of masters in
Chinese Buddhism, such as Dharma Masters, Vinaya Masters,
and Dhyana Masters. Dhyana refers to the Thus Come One's
Dhyana, which was transmitted nonverbally and outside of the
teaching, when Shakyamuni Buddha showed the flower to the
assembly on Vulture Peak. Someone who attains the Way
through such a teaching is called a Dhyana Master. Patriarch
Bodhidharma, the 28th Patriarch in India, brought the Chan
School to China and was the First Patriarch in China. He was
followed by Shen Guang and others, all the way up to the
Sixth Patriarch. Dhyana Master Tan-sheng of Yun-yan is the
37th generational Patriarch in the lineage of the Sixth
Patriarch. Today we will briefly discuss how he propagated
the Dharma.
The Master was a son of the Wang
family in Jian-chang. "The Master" refers to Dhyana
Master Tan-sheng of Yun-yan. The text proceeds to explain
where he was from and what he did. He was from Jianchang, a
district in Zhe-jiang Province in China's 23rd region. His
lay surname was Wang; his father's surname. He was
born with a kashaya sash covering his flesh. This
Greatly Virtuous Patriarch was rather extraordinary: at
birth his body was covered with a kashaya sash [a monk's
precept sash]. He left the home-life with Shi-men
("Stone Door" at an early age. Shi-men is the name
of a place. Dhyana Master Tan-sheng's master was also an
eminent Sanghan, and so he is referred to indirectly by his
place of residence. After Dhyana Master Tan-sheng received
the complete precepts, he traveled about to visit other
teachers. The first teacher he drew near to was Dhyana
Master Bai-zhang, a famous and extraordinary Dhyana Master
in China's Jiang-xi Province who contributed greatly to the
establishment of large monasteries in China. There is a
Chinese proverb, "Mazu built large monasteries, and
Bai-zhang set up the pure monastic regulations." Many
Chinese monasteries today still follow Dhyana Master
Bai-zhang's daily schedules and regulations for the
ceremonial halls, storerooms, and so forth. Before Patriarch
Ma-zu set up large monasteries, there was no place for
cultivating Sanghans to convene. Patriarch Ma-zu ushered in
an era of large-scale monasteries and buildings. A cong-lin,
the Chinese term for a large monastery, literally means
"thick forest" and refers to a large number of eminent and
virtuous Sangha members gathered together, like trees in a
forest.
After Patriarch Ma-zu set up large
monasteries, the monks didn't have any rules to follow, so
they could not accomplish much. One person wanted to do one
thing, and another person wanted to do something else. One
wanted to recite the Buddha's name, and another wanted to
investigate Chan. There were also people who didn't do
either. What could be done? Out of sympathy for future
cultivators, Dhyana Master Bai-zhang set up many monastic
regulations. For example, at Gold Mountain Monastery, under
the guidance of the Venerable Du-lun [i.e. the Venerable
Master], we hold ceremonies, eat in the formal style,
meditate, and hold recitation sessions and meditation
sessions. These are all part of the monastic regulations.
~ To be continued
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